Thai man pleads guilty to South African rhino smuggling

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A Thai man pleaded guilty on Monday to smuggling rhino horn from South Africa, in a case in which prostitutes posing as big game hunters were used to conceal an international trafficking ring.

Chumlong Lemtongthai is likely to be jailed for more than 10 years under a plea deal that investigators said sealed one of the most important prosecutions in their fight to protect rhinos, whose horns are worth more than gold in parts of Southeast Asia.